Richardville seeks end to union mandatefor state's teachers

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan teachers no longer would have to join unions under legislation state Senate Republicans plan to introduce in coming weeks.

Senate Republican Leader Randy Richardville said Friday during the taping of public television's "Off the Record" show that the Michigan Education Association has stood in the way of education improvements. He favors eliminating laws requiring school employees to join unions.

It's the latest Republican-led effort to weaken the power of organized labor in one of its longtime strongholds. Republicans are angry the MEA is trying to force a November recall election for GOP House Education Committee Chairman Paul Scott.

David Hecker of the American Federation of Teachers' Michigan chapter calls the right-to-work proposal nothing more than "a political, partisan power grab."

The MEA calls Richardville "seriously misguided."

The Monroe Republican doesn't support making Michigan a right-to-work state. But he accused the MEA of standing in the way of education improvements and said the only way to change that is to eliminate laws requiring school employees to join unions.

"I believe the leadership of that union has taken them down the wrong road," Richardville said during the taping of public television's "Off the Record" show. "I don't believe the teachers' union represents the teachers well, or the students."

The move is the latest front in an ongoing fight in Michigan between Republican lawmakers and unions.

It could significantly reduce the amount of dues collected by the MEA and the American Federation of Teachers' Michigan chapter, the two unions that represent most of the K-12 teachers and support staff in the state.

It also could be seen as Republican payback against the MEA, which has played a significant role in efforts to get a recall election on the November ballot for House Education Committee Chairman Paul Scott. The Grand Blanc Republican raised MEA leaders' ire by playing a key role in changing the state's teacher tenure policies.

Scott has court cases pending to keep the recall effort from landing on the ballot.

Calls were left Friday seeking comment from the two unions. The MEA represents about 125,000 K-12 teachers and school support staff, while AFT Michigan represents a much smaller number.

Republican legislators recently passed laws raising most teachers' health care costs by capping the amount that school districts can pay toward health care coverage. They also have lengthened the amount of time it takes for teachers to attain tenure, made it easier to get rid of poorly performing teachers and required teacher evaluations based at least in part on student test scores.

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